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With songs in Gaelic and English; tunes touching on the Scottish, Irish, Cape Breton, Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian folk traditions; fiddles, pipes, whistles and guitars; and steps that will leave you breathless, this matinee may put to the test the popular aphorism that music is “the universal language”. It’s safe to say that most will have no trouble understanding beloved Cape Breton singer-songwriter Cyril MacPhee’s heartfelt lyrics or the rich delivery of his songs. Fewer may understand the words when Anita MacDonald sings, but the feeling and emotion don’t lie far beneath the surface in Gaelic song. Along with Ben Miller and Zakk Cormier, she will also have some great tunes to share from the album they released together earlier this year. This afternoon we get our first look at fiddle-playing Finnish duo Teho who wrap their regional musical influences with a touch of bebop swagger and western swing style. And no gathering would be complete without dance so we’ve invited Maureen Fraser along to show us her steps.
Hosted by Big Pond Community Council